Should people be punished for not keeping the sabbath holy?

One of the biggest encroachments of modernism on Christian life is that many people are disobeying the commandment to not work on the sabbath. It has become culturally and socially acceptable, and very few companies (Chick-fil-A comes to mind) explicitly put God's law above the pursuit of material wealth by closing shop on Sunday.

The Old Testament (Exodus 31:14) says we should put people to death for disobeying the commandment. Personally, I think the death penalty is too harsh but if we don't punish people or change the culture they will continue to sin against God.

I know some of you will think that, as Christians, we can ignore the Old Testament laws. However, keeping the sabbath holy is a commandment, not just a law.

So what should we do about this, considering how prevalent this sin has become?

Indeed - could not agree more.

But you would have to outlaw all those 'super' churches which are designed to make money for the selected few. Could get ugly here.

In fact, Jews did not necessarily go to church on Sabbot, unless it was but a short distance - they stayed home and celebrated with family. So, going to church for most of us would be recognised as 'breaking' the commandment by undergoing the 'work' of travelling to and from church.

So, I fully support the move that people stay home with their family for 24 hours and celebrate the coming of the Lord. Of course such activities would exclude watching sport of TV, playing computer games, catching up on household chores. But knowing some family situations such a sentence would be hell on earth.

What should we do? Become Torah obeying Christians - that should get some tongues wagging.

Originally Posted by hwalker7777

One of the biggest encroachments of modernism on Christian life is that many people are disobeying the commandment to not work on the sabbath. It has become culturally and socially acceptable, and very few companies (Chick-fil-A comes to mind) explicitly put God's law above the pursuit of material wealth by closing shop on Sunday.

The Old Testament (Exodus 31:14) says we should put people to death for disobeying the commandment. Personally, I think the death penalty is too harsh but if we don't punish people or change the culture they will continue to sin against God.

I know some of you will think that, as Christians, we can ignore the Old Testament laws. However, keeping the sabbath holy is a commandment, not just a law.

So what should we do about this, considering how prevalent this sin has become?

Would I be correct in assuming you're referring to keeping Saturday as the Sabbath?? If so, I disagree as the NT church kept Sunday as the Lord's Day since Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday.

I was in a Sabbath keeping church for 20 years and wouldn't go back to it.

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Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here [am] I; send me. Isa 6:8

Do we also need to be cirumsized? Read and understand Romans 14...

Romans 14:5-6 (NIV)
One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.

This is the freedom for which Yeshua died for us. We don't need to go by a list of rules anymore. He simply wants us to love our neighbor as ourselves (what James called the "Royal law").

CC

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Many enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought - JFK

Not by the government. Separation of Church and State.
Ringo

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"As the government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion"
-- Treaty of Tripoli, 1797. Presented to Congress and signed by everyone in attendance.

Yes, just what do you mean by "punish?" Sounds like you want to get the cops in on the act; and Ringo nails that one right on the head.
Like you, I admire Chick-fil-A, Hobby Lobby and other companies that close on Sunday. Or, for that matter, the Torah sabbath. The only thing I can suggest is supporting them with your patronage, avoiding their competitors, and rigorously refraining from shopping for anything other than real emergency items yourself on Sunday. Alas, I predict you won't even get many members of your home church to join you. Sad but true, most of us are more likely to read the ads in the Sunday paper more carefully than the day's Scripture lessons.

People who don't observe a sabbath day are punishing themselves by not resting in God. A lot of offenses in the OT law are punishable by death, but I look at it this way. Instead of suffering the permanent punishment of death - the ultimate separation from God, we suffer a 'little death' when we sin, being separated from God until we repent. I think if people are made to understand that if they don't take a day for time with God that they will become weak and distanced from God, they will recognize the importance of the sabbath.

I actually try not to ignore the OT law, it still stands as God's morality, the difference is that we're not judged by it, so in following the law I try to understand the intent behind it. I probably don't need to be concerned about rounding the corners of my beard, for example, because I'm not an Israelite separating myself from the idolatry of Egypt and other nations. However, it would benefit me not to do things according to modern culture (following trends and all that).

Anyway, I also agree with the point that the Sabbath isn't really about church, but about you and God. Is fellowship beneficial? Absolutely. Is it necessary to go listen to a preacher and sing songs with people once a week? No. Focus on God first, and then fellowship.

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I never understood why churches didn't kick members out for this. I mean when I was going to church they did not allow openly homosexual members to join simply because they were openly sinning and had no plans on changing that. Since all sin is equal I don't see why this is any different.

Since Paul says 5 times that we aren't under the law then I don't see any reason to keep the Sabbath.

If one does want to keep the Sabbath then I'd think that one should actually keep the Sabbath which would be Friday night at sundow to Saturday night at sundown. Then sense Paul said if a person keep one law they are obligated to keep all of them one should be sure they keep all 605 laws of the Torah.

I'll personally go with resting in Jesus every day for the rest of my life.

dayhiker

Then is it okay to murder?! Give me a break. We can't just ignore the commandments, they aren't just obscure Jewish laws that we can ignore. More importantly, disobeying the commandment is disrespectful to God.


The law in the Torah that we are not obligated to follow is the part that says we should put those who work on the sabbath to death. We are still obligated, however, to keep the sabbath holy, as it is still a commandment.